Tending the fire, bearing the skalds
by Aemeth
Summary: Azula was unloved, deadly ambitious and far from being of 'peace at mind'. Still she managed to master lightening. This is the story of how she achieved it with Ty Lee's help. Azula/Ty Lee
1. Failure

Most people thought Ty Lee for an air head. She didn't mind. It meant that she could escape the suspicions of the strict teachers of the royal academy, of a mother that almost never could call her by her name, the girls whispering about her in envy and all the other guards of their throughfully defined little world.

Their lifes were seized into schedules that were to be carefully followed and even the most obedient students were immediately questioned by everyone. Not so Ty Lee. Most teachers had found her to be a lost case. Too low attention span, they said. No academic ambitions. But she was pretty and friendly and well liked nonetheless so most let her get away with her lack of dedication.

Only her instructors of anatomy and physical education were truly delighted by her and praised and encouraged her every day. She was fascinated with the human body, what potential it held and how it only was your choice of how to develop this potential. She was no bender. So what? She could exceed their natural superiority by learning how to disable it. She could exceed her body, an equal to all her sisters, by toning and shaping into that of an agile acrobat. To train and understand her body meant to exceed all penalties nature had thrown at her. And that brought her happiness.

"What are you doing now, Ty Lee?"

The snarl made her twitch and loose her balance. She fell but gracefully caught herself and turned around, landing softly in the dried down grass.

Before her, in the blazing light of the midday sun, stood Azula, princess of the fire nation. And her friend.

She broke into an exhausted but wide smile.

"Oh, hey Azula! I was just trying to learn to make a handstand on my fingertips. It's really hard though and it's so hot today!"

It was the hottest day of summer yet. Ty lee brushed the sweat of her forehead and looked up to the princess.

She wore her training attire, long cutted dark red breeches and a tight top that only covered her breast and left her toned stomach, arms and calves bare to the sun.

Not a drop of sweat clung to her and her eyes...

Ty Lee was always fascinated by the princesses eyes. She was the only one whose atlethic abilities matched those of Ty Lee and whose body hold the same toned beauty but her eyes always impressed her the most. They seemed to emit a deep coolness and yet a blazing fire. They looked like fluent gold to her.

Those eyes now narrowed in thought.

"If it is a stand on your fingertips is it still proper to call it a handstand?"

Ty Lee frowned than smiled. "Agh! I don't know. But whatever you want to call it I can't seem to get it right. But I can try tomorrow again. Wait, aren't you supposed to be in training with you father?"

She knew with anyone else Azula would have taken these words as a hint of accusation, the implication that the perfect princess had done something wrong. But she had learned she was the exception to that rule. She had learned by studying Azula.

Azula gave a little sigh.

"Well, father is in an important meeting with the war council and has postponed our training for an hour. I came to tell you that you are expected in the palace this weekend."

"Great! Sure I'll be there!" It was easier to act like she actually had been invited and not ordered.

"If you have some time left, you wanna join me?"

"Doing what?"

"Oh, I don't know. We could steel Master Endu's fireflakes and hide them in the stables!"

Azula frowned and gracefully sat down. Everything Azula did looked graceful and Ty Lee admired it greatly about her.

"Ty Lee, we're fifteen years old now. We're above such things. You understand?" Her voice was even and determined and left no space for arguing. But it hadn't always been like this. Ty Lee remembered her princess' voice when they had been six years old and playing together on ember's island filled with kindness,curiosity and laughter.

These softer notes in the princess' voice had decreased more and more by the years but they remained there. Until her mother had left and her father took her into her personal training and her brother had been banished. She hadn't heard it once since then.

"Come on Azula, that doesn't mean we can't have fun anymore!", she laughed and nudged the other girl in the shoulder.

Azula's face maintained it's blankness as she raised.

"I will go to my training now. I will see you at the weekend." With that she left and soon Ty Lee followed.

She often wondered if the princess knew she was still being watched when she trained before her father's personal lessons.

Ty Lee hung high in the timberwork of the hall, motionless and completely quiet,all people never thought she could be. An she didn't like it one bit. But it was worth it to be able to watch what Ty Lee knew to be the greatest fire bender of history in action.

She always was watching. People thought she played around, didn't actually care couldn't imagine she would sneak in some place just to watch.

But she loved nothing more than to watch this.

Azula was the incarnation of perfection. Her movements were those of contained explosions, pure, raw energy bended into precise an deadly forms.

An then there was the blue. That banned beautiful colour, so unique and rare and so fitting to this unique being. Whenever the princess let loose a blast of her blue fire Ty Lee smiled.

It was the only time she ever say sweat on Azula's ebony skin. It trailed down the lines of her muscles an beautiful face.

It was the only time she really saw emotion in this face.

Groans and screams if she couldn't do something immediately or to her satisfaction. Not perfect enough. Fury an agony distorting that beautiful face.

And fear when the fire lord entered an she hadn't mastered it all.

It was were Ty Lee saw the person Azula and not just the princess.

She remembered the first time she had come and watched.

Azula had been training the whole day and had been more ruthless than ever. Something was of. When she had asked Azula had shoved her aside and deeply worried she had followed her into her training, knowing if caught she was to suffer punishment by the fire lord himself.

So she had watched hidden how Azula performed a perfect kata of blue fire bending under her father's cold eyes.

When she was done he nodded.

"Good. And have you mastered what I told you to?"

Azula shivered, her pupils wide, but other than that there was no trace of emotion in her face.

"I - I did, father."

"Then show it to me."

Azula took a deep breath. Then she raised one arm and pointed two fingers in a cutting motion. Ty Lee frowned. She had never seen that move before and yet there was no trace of a flame to see.

Azula repeated the motion with her other hand and finally connected the fingertips together. For the briefest second there was a blue spark to be seen, lighter and more intense than fire.

Then it exploded and Azula was thrown a yard backwards.

Ty Lee had to press both hands over her mouth to muffle her shriek.

Azula hit the ground with a groan of pain. Her face was red an her hands bleed.

Quickly she stood and limped.

"Father,let me try ag-", she began, her voice raised in panic.

"So you didn't."

The fire lord stood, his eyes narrowed.

"It has been three months, Azula. Three months since I showed you this technique."

"Father-"

"You were to master it in one. I have been patient..."

"But father-"

"SILENCE!"

Ty Lee shuddered and cramped her fingers deeper into her face. Azula lowered her head.

"Your grandfather mastered lightening at his fifteenth birthday. I told the generals you would master it before that. Do you know how I will look if you fail? Have you ever considered that?"

"Father, I did nothing but training! I didn't sleep, I - I didn't rest! I'm trying, it just won't-"

"Shh", her father soothed, his face suddenly controlled again. Ty Lee let her hands fall, relieved his out break seemed to be over. Still, she couldn't relax.

"Now, I love you my daughter." Gently he brushed a hand over Azula's cheek. "You know I wouldn't let you fail like your brother Zuko. You don't want to disappoint me like he did, do you?"

Azula shook her head, trembling.

"Do you?", the fire lord asked a little louder.

"No", whispered Azula.

"Then don't!"

The strike clang though the hall like thunder and Ty Lee cried, but her sounds were swallowed of those of countless other slaps, kicks and punches and Ty Lee watched frozen in horror how the fire lord beat his daughter until she was nothing but a shaking little broken bundle on the floor, bleeding and whimpering.

Through a veil of tears Ty Lee saw how the fire lord stood and massaged his hands.

"I will give you two more weeks, Azula. Do not disappoint me."

And with that he left, no even looking back.

Azula didn't move. She just lay there, shaking and crying in pain.

When she flinched at the hand on an unbruised part of her arm, Ty Lee didn't even remember herself when she had jumped down and rushed to her friend.

Azula's golden eyes turned to her and widened.

"Ty Lee", she said, her voice rasped.

"What are you doing here?"

Tears ran over Ty Lee's cheeks. She shook her head and carefully stroke Azula's arm. The other girl hissed in pain.

"Is this was he always does to you?", she asked under sobs.

Azula was quiet for the longest time. Meanwhile Ty Lee stroked her damped hair and every inch of her boy that didn't seem to be bruised somehow.

Finally her breathing calmed down a little and when she spoke, Ty Lee actually twitched.

"He is right do so. I failed him."

She shut her eyes. "I never took so long to learn a new technique. What I am worth if I am just like Zuku and don't get better. I know I can do it, I feel the lightning, I-"

Suddenly her eyes snapped open again an she looked at Ty Lee in horror.

"You saw."

There it was, that deep inhuman snarl.

"Azula -"

"How can you dare!"

Ty lee ducked but the princess' blow was too weak anyhow. Limply she let it fall again, stared at it and then broke out into sobs.

Azula didn't say or move anymore that night.

She let Ty Lee wash her, let her put salve on her wounds and let her stroke and caress her.

When she managed to bring the princess to her room there already was a nurse waiting.

She wordlessly helped Ty Lee put the broken princess to bed and than put some other salves on her. Afterwards she turned to Ty Lee.

"I know who you are. You are one of her consorts."

"Friend", Ty Lee corrected. Her voice was hoarse from all the crying.

"Friend", repeated the nurse an chuckled humorlessly.

"I give you a good advise, girl. If you're smart you forget you ever saw this. You are never to speak to anybody of this or you will deeply regret it. An now leave."

Ty Lee bit her lip.

"Now!"

"No."

Both Ty Lee an the nurse turned around to the bed. Azula's eyes hadn't opened.

"Leave us alone."

The nurse bowed an left.

"Come here" Azula ordered and Ty Lee obeyed.

For lthe ongest time after that Azula didn't say any more and when Ty Lee thought she had drifted back to sleep her princess whispered:

"Am I a failure?"

Ty Lee took her hand.

"No. No you are not, Azula. You are the strongest, most beautiful an perfect girl I know. You don't deserve this..."

"Then why didn't my mother love me? Why did she leave?"

"Your... your mother?"

Suddenly Azula clenched her hand so hard it hurt and Ty Lee hissed.

"She is weak. That's why she feared me. She fears my power. But I don't need her. I will be the strongest fire bender in the history. Father will love me."

Golden eyes opened and starred at Ty Lee in feverish despair, looking for an answer.

Ty Lee lowered herself behind Azula an hugged her tightly, her hands stroking soothing patterns on the princess' skin.

"I love you, Azula. I will always love you, I promise. No matter what. I will never hurt you just because you didn't something right for once. "

Azula closed her eyes.


	2. The cold blooded fire

Hey people! Here's chapter two I apologize for the mistakes in the first chap, I rushed in uploading it and I'm not a native english speaker, so have mercy :) A lot of people alerted this and I'm glad you enjoy it but be kind and leave a review, will you? We all know reviews are love.

The next morning Ty Lee woke alone. She didn't have to wonder where Azula had gone so early.

She found her in the training hall, performing the same Kata from yesterday. The salves must have been produced by the water tribes for the angry bruises of yesterday already faded.

Azula caught her sight eventually and paused for a brief moment. Then she continued and Ty Lee stood there watching until the princess left, her heated skin brushing her arm ghost likely as she passed her.

Ty Lee skipped classes the next day to go to the royal library. She had never been to place and was amazed by the masses of books filling the shelves but didn't let it discourage her. It was noon when she found the book she sought, titled _The cold blooded fire._

Soon was emerged into the old handwritten piece, her young brow furrowed in concentration.

_To bend lightening means to master fire bending at it's purest form. To do so the bender must leave behind all he learned about fire bending in it's essence and open himself. To cool and sharp his mind._

The book went on that it only could be mastered if you controlled your emotions and were of peace of mind.

Ty Lee frowned at this. It didn't make any sense. Fire bending _was_ emotion and aggression, from all she knew. And how could you separate feelings and mind?

As a loud warm laugh sounded she realized she must have said it aloud. When she looked up she found herself face to face with Azula's uncle, general Iroh.

She was relieved. The old man wasn't like his brother. He was always kind to them even though Azula didn't seem to like him and he obviously preferred his nephew.

"Why hello little Ty Lee!"

Ty Lee bowed her head.

"Hello General Iroh. I'm sorry I didn't notice you."

The man smiled.

"I can see why. Would you care to tell me, why a young girl who isn't even a bender would spend such a beautiful day in a library to read about such a rare form of bending rather than enjoying the sun outside?"

Ty Lee's lip quivered.

"Azula wants to learn it", she finally blurted out.

A shadow lay over Iroh's face.

"Is that so? Well, my niece is one of the most talented fire benders I have ever seen... I am sure she will learn it one day. But she is yet too young."

Ty Lee wanted to tell him right then. She wanted to shake him and scream at him to protect his niece like he did with his nephew.

But she knew what Azula would do to her, if she said so much of a word.

So she thought carefully.

"I know, but - but I think her father - his royal majesty, I mean - pressures her about it. So I wanted to help her."

Iroh looked at her sceptically.

"But I don't understand this. I always thought Fire bending is fed by emotion. But here it says you only can bend lightning by controlling your emotions, blending them out. But don't we always think about our emotions?"

Iroh was quiet for a time and stroked his beard. He answered slowly.

"It is difficult... to explain the most difficult form of fire bending to someone who never received any fire bending training at all. But you must know it is possible only for the most determined and powerful fire benders. Benders who can direct all of their will into their bending and free their mind of every feeling that might cloud it. This is easier for those who are of peace at mind, a condition which is seldom for fire benders as you can imagine. Some have mastered it by finding something they could focus all their emotion on, someone they really loved or hated. But this not the right way to achieve this. Most who master it usually look back at a long life and have overcome their griefs and angers. Like me. It isn't a technique for you young people. Your minds and hearts are at constant race right now and it is good this way. My nephew constantly begs me to teach it to him, but I won't live to see the age he needs to do so."

Ty Lee was quiet for a long time after this.

"Maybe you could repeat this to Azula?", she finally said.

This seemed to take the old man aback.

"I'm afraid my niece isn't too fond of my teachings."

"Have you ever tried?"

He hesitated. "My brother insists he and these old women are the only ones to train Azula. He wouldn't want me to."

Ty Lee frowned.

"But you must know what a terrible teacher your brother is!"

Iroh sighed. "I know my brother isn't a patient man. But it is in his best intention to turn Azula into a great fire bender."

"So you don't even care?"

"I do -"

"No! You don't even _try _to help her! I _know _from Azula that the fire lord didn't want you to train Zuko first, too, but you convinced him!"

Iroh's face hardened.

"If I would offer to teach my niece she would laugh at me. She doesn't respect me and doesn't want my help and she doesn't need it."

Ty Lee stared at him in disbelief and anger.

"I don't believe you. I think you know you could help her. You just don't want to. You're afraid of your own brother. An you don't even care about her as long as you have Zuko!"

With tears in her eyes she turned an ran out of the library.

That evening she returned to the hall were Azula was, training again.

The princess didn't acknowledge her presence but Ty Lee told her everything about what she had read and about what Iroh had said. She tried to convince her to bring him to training her and to talk with her father. Azula didn't respond until she finished her training. Then she dried herself with a towel and looked at her intensely. Ty Lee felt her heart beat quicken up at being so closely examined by these beautiful eyes.

Finally Azula gave a short laugh.

"Really, Ty Lee. How amusing that you, a non bender, want to educate the princess of the fire nation about the most advanced fire bending technique there is."

Ty Lee broke out into sweat.

"But I didn't mean to -"

"It was fun to listen to first but now it starts to annoy me. What do you know about anything? Really Ty Lee, if you don't continue to do this I will let it pass. But do it again and I will be seriously displeased."

The threat in the end of the sentence made Ty Lee's blood freeze. It didn't seem like Azula speaking. It was her father's word.

She didn't know what to say. She just stood there, tears in her eyes. Then she rushed forward and threw her arms around the princess.

Azula stood motionless but made no move to free herself either. When Ty Lee finally let go she just left.


	3. Focus

Thank you all for the kind reviews! Keep them coming :) Here goes chapter three and it becomes rather adult now, just a warning.

* * *

Two days later she watched again how Azula performed in front of her father an how she failed once more. Helplessly she witnessed her princess being beaten up all over again an when she came to collect the peaces this time, Azula shoved her away.

"Go! I don't need you! And don't ever dare to come here again!"

Crying she had left and from then on had watched in secret.

Every day was franticly spend trying to find a way to help Azula. The thought what the fire lord would do to her when she would fail again seized her heart painfully.

Mai was concerned with her being so quiet an asked what was wrong. But Ty Lee somehow knew she couldn't tell her. That she wouldn't understand. That she already feared Azula too much, like all of the others.

Anger was a long lost emotion to her. She had learned to banish it by training her body.

But now she was angry, angry at Azula's father, at her mother for never caring and leaving her to her father's cruel hands, angry at her uncle for doing the same, angry at them all for not seeing Azula and letting her become the fire lord's tool.

Iroh's words, no matter how angry she was at him, kept repeating in her head.

_Some have mastered it by finding something they could focus all their emotion on, someone they really loved or hated. But this is not the right way to achieve this._

But it was a way. It was a way, she thought when she was balancing on her finger tips.

"I see you have mastered it", Azula said calmly.

Ty Lee looked up to her startled.

They were in the palace gardens and the sun was going down.

With the red dusk behind her matching Azula's robe she almost became invisible. It was a secluded spot not known to many, the place where they used to play together as children, away from all the others. High trees had always shielded them form the palace's walls and guards and Ty lee still came here when she wanted to be alone.

"Oh. Yes Azula, I did."

The princess nodded. She sat down and only for a short moment cringed at the pain her wounds surely must have elicited.

"How?", she asked simply.

But there was despair hidden deeply behind the fluent gold, only detected because Ty Lee had known the waters long enough.

"I...I guess I just somehow stopped trying so hard. I focused on something else and suddenly it worked."

Azula's brow furrowed.

"This is nonsense. How would that possibly help you?"

Ty Lee averted her eyes.

"I don't know, 'Zula. It just did."

Azula snorted and began to stand up.

"I knew I shouldn't have bothered to ask" she muttered but Ty Lee grabbed for her arm.

"No wait!"

Angrily Azula snatched free but Ty Lee lunged at her again and the princess turned around, fury in her eyes.

She stroke at the acrobat but Ty Lee dodged with ease. Azula hit again and soon they found themselves in heated combat. Any other day Azula would have won, but she still was strained and weakened by her wounds and Ty Lee had the upper hand.

Finally Azula turned her around, hovering over her and Ty Lee just stopped to defend herself. When Azula raised her hand and no resistance occurred she frowned in confusion and hesitated.

"What? Why did you stop?!", she demanded.

Ty Lee remained still and Azula breathed heavily, starring down at her but not moving either.

The acrobat looked at the princess, at the pain struck beautiful face, into these deep golden mounds on to the lost lost girl deep inside of them.

Slowly she reached out a hand and hesitatingly touched Azula's cheek.

The princess gasped at the contact but still didn't move.

Eyes locked Ty Lee brought her other hand to Azula's face so she held her firmly, stroking the soft skin with her thumbs.

Azula's breath quickened. The confusion in her eyes deepened.

"What are you doing?", she snarled.

Then Ty Lee shot up her head and kissed her.

The touch was searing and hot and Ty Lee felt her insides molten and overflowed by feelings.

Azula didn't respond for what felt like an eternity.

Than she gripped Ty Lee with all her might and kissed her back, devoured her lips aggressively and with a heat that seemed to slowly consume Ty Lee.

Her strong hands touched her everywhere, her hot breath and lips marking every inch of exposed skin until she started to expose the rest.

It wasn't gentle. It was rough, and needing and desperate and it was raw passion.

Ty Lee enjoyed and was frightened every second. She sighed when Azula caressed her naked skin, groaned when she was entered for the first time and cried during her release, her eyes wide open and staring into Azula's as she pressed her forehead to her own, her rugged fiery breath on her and finally her scream as she too came to her high.

After they lay there in the dark, the last red rays of the dying sun on their sweat glistening bodies. Finally Azula raised and got dressed. Than she knelt down and put a hand on Ty Lee's face.

Her eyes looked still confused but at the same time more peaceful than she had seen them in years.

"You _will_ love me no matter what. Won't you Ty Lee", she said, repeating the promise Ty Lee had made to her that first night she had watched her train.

Ty Lee nodded and lay her own hand atop of Azula's.

"Always."

Than Azula left. And the next day, when Ty Lee felt the bruises, the marks that the princess had left on her body hanging down the timber work she watched in silence as the whole hall blazed into blue crackling light as the lightening sprung from Azula's hands for the first time, a sad smile on her face. The words of the book sounded gravely in her head.

_Once one separates the energy, one does not command it. It simply means to be it's humbly guide._

She was the princess' consort, her friend and now her lover.

Every day was painful and she began to fear the princess like everyone else but her love grew even stronger. But like every penalty nature had thrown at her, she learned to overcome this too. She smiled and was happy for Azula even when she tended to her wounds again, even when the princess hurt her with words or her hands.

She tried hard not to, but at times she had to cry. Azula couldn't bear it and almost every time this happened she found black flowers on her night stand.

Most days before training Azula would find her and ravish her brutally and passionately and often left her bruised and unsatisfied. And sometimes she would just sit beside her and stare at her, as if trying to understand who she was and why she did what she did.

"You don't love me" she challenged her sometimes. Ty lee would kiss her and hug her until she believed it again.

And sometimes Azula found her in the night, gently ran her fingers over Ty Lee's face and kissed her once just to leave again.

Ty Lee still watched her train. Not every day, she couldn't bear it, but when she watched her create lightning, saw her tortured princess create and guide this raw energy, that filled everyone with fear...

her heart filled with pride and love. So the days went by and Ty Lee told herself she was happy. She had to tell herself again and again.


	4. Freedom

So here is the final chapter - It was really hard to write but I hope I did it justice.

* * *

Ty Lee's whole body was shaking. Shuddering she tried to regain her breath. Strong hands trailed over her wet stomach and contently she cuddled into the warm body next to her.

Smiling, her breath somewhat even again, she opened her eyes to stare into Azula's golden ones, as so often in deep thought.

She rose a hand and brought it to her lover's face.

"Now... what's on your mind again so early in the day?" , she asked.

It was dawn - the time the princess' temper was at it's most gentle.

"I know that you are thinking about running away to the circus."

Or maybe not.

It cost Ty Lee a lot to keep up her smile and laugh.

"Ha, whoever told you that? I mean, sure, the circus seems like a lot of fun. But I couldn't see you or Mai again if I went..."

"Don't play coy."

In one strong move Azula had raised herself up above her still frighteningly calm.

Her eyes glided above every inch of her body. Ty Lee couldn't help but wonder if it was highly inappropriate in this moment with the girl's lean naked body pressing against her own to be aroused once again.

"I read your diary."

Ty Lee,for a moment forgetting everything, opened her mouth in protest -

"- and I burned it. Do you realize what would happen to the both of was if anybody was to find it? But my dear Ty Lee..."

She lowered her face so that it was merely a heartbeat away from her own.

And suddenly her voice sounded like she was near crying.

"How can you even think about _leaving_ me? Do you know what I would do to you if I found you? I would destroy you."

Her hands raked over Ty Lee possessively and sunk painfully into her skin.

"But you _fear _me." She spat the word. "Like everybody else. And you should. It doesn't bother me... what bothers me are the lies you fed me for weeks. That you _love _me. But if you did... how could you leave? How can people that love leave?!"

Ty Lee couldn't help the tears welling in her eyes. Carefully she grabbed Azula's face again. Even in this state, her eyes bordering at madness, she was so very beautiful.

"I do. I do love you! And I do..fear you. But that is why I - why I want to go... I am unhappy. The life on court is not for me and you know it. I don't have your mind or Mai's connections and my mother will soon try to marry me of... would you want that to happen? Rather than me being of elsewhere where you could still see me when you wanted to?"

Azula's brow had furrowed in what the acrobat knew to be a mix of anger, fear and insecurity.

Her sharp nails digged even dipper into her skin and Ty Lee bit back a moan.

"I want you _here_. A word from me and no suitor in the fire nation would make you advances."

"But I still wouldn't be happy."

A strangled sound tore from Azula's throat.

"So you lied to me. You never loved me."

"No!"

With fear Ty Lee watched how blue flames came to life in Azula's right hand but something was off.

Azula stared at her hand, confused. She quenched the flames and made a cutting move. Again blue fire emerged and Ty Lee understood that the princess tried to create lightening.

"It won't work" she whispered.

"How can you -"

Ty Lee silenced her with a short but intense kiss.

Azula's eyes were wide when she withdrew.

Fear and defiance mingled in Ty Lee's face as she said under tears:  
"Don't you remember what your uncle said? What I told you? Why do you think it was that you suddenly could bend lightening? Who do you think made it happen?!"

"You dare to presume...!"

"Yes, I do!"

For a moment they lay there, burning eyes locked in a silent battle. Ty Lee couldn't believe they were still naked.

"So do it. Strike me with your lightening."

Azula clenched her teeth. She raised both hands. Cut trough the air. Nothing but a spark.

The princess breathed heavily before giving an angry growl.

"Argh! It doesn't matter! My fire is more than enough to make you shut your mouth!"

And when the ball of blue flames erupted in her hand and she lowered the fist to Ty Lee, the acrobat had no other choice.

Three sharp hits in the princess' back and the fire evaporated.

Azula crashed down on her, a look of surprise and horror in it.

Her tears now flowing freely Ty Lee took her lover's limp body in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Do you know how I fell in love with you?", she whispered desperately. "Because all my life I tried to overcome all my penalties, all the while loathing the ones that had caused them. I blamed my misery, my wrongs on others. But you..."

She pressed a soft kiss to the princess' shoulder.

"You never blamed anyone. You always took full responsibility for everything you were, did or lacked, for every up and down. And I admire it so much...if just - if you just saw that there _is_ someone to blame! That not you failed your parents but that - that your parents failed you!"

Slowly she lowered Azula down on the bed. Her face had began to move again and she looked utterly angry... and lost.

Ty lee traced her face, smiling a teary sad smile.

"But I grow more unhappy every day and I fear what you turn into. And I feel that I can't stop it and I don't want to to come to fear you more than love you! To not love you at all."

Azula's moth opened slowly, almost painfully she choked out the words:

"So.. you will... leave?"

Ty Lee stared down at her, her heart throbbing of pain. There was her Azula's voice again... the voice of the girl on ember island.

"Yes. I will leave."

Azula's breath went rigid. Her hand moved to Ty Lee's arm.

"Then... when we meet again... it will be...as if nothing ever happened, as it... never should have."

Ty Lee shut her eyes. She tried to gather all her love and admiration for the girl beneath and her wondered; was there a chance she could safe her still?

No... not if the princess destroyed her. If she ceased to be who she was, she couldn't help her anymore.

She opened her eyes again and pressed her forehead to Azula's.

"I can't tell you what to do. When we meet again, do what you think is right with me. Act like nothing ever happened or burn me to the ground, or... just remember that I love yo from all my heart. Don't let your father take away that person! I'll try to do what you told me once, to keep thinking about what I do, to not be shallow.. I will try. Just promise me that you will, too."

Azula didn't say anything. She just stared at her, with hurt and despair in her eyes.

A sudden wave of heat, the sound of ignition made Ty Lee turn her hand. And there it was, dancing around Azula's fingertips... a single little band of blue lightening that slowly burned her skin.

Ty Lee broke into a fearful laugh and thought she had gone mad for it.

Azula raised the bolt to her face.. to smother it and touch her cheek. Ty Lee froze.

Her heart bumped in her chest.

Slowly, still numbed, Azula's fingertips trailed over her skin, before she let them sink and uttered a single word.

"Go."

Ty Lee swallowed. She looked down at her beloved princess' face, trying to remember how it looked in that exact moment, loving, hating, in triumph once again.

She bent down and captured Azula's lips in one last hungry and tender kiss, drowning in the scent and feeling. With a cry of pain she ripped free, wrapping the blanket around her and fleeing the room without looking back.

She knew herself. She wasn't strong and determined like the princess. She would try to forget. She would try to blame others for what pain had been caused, what betrayal had occurred. But never would she stop loving Azula, if she won her inner battle or not;

Ty Lee would always be hers.

* * *

Thank you for the lovely reviews and please leave a new one to let me know what you thought! :D


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